Writing to Save a Life

Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File is a true crime biography written by John Edgar Wideman. The book, first published in 2016 by Scribner, traces the life of Emmett Till’s father, and the tragic injustices that befell them both. The book was nominated for both the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction. Wideman is a highly-regarded writer who was the first author to win the International PEN/Faulkner Award twice. He is the second African-American to win a Rhodes Scholarship, and he was also awarded the MacArthur Genius Grant. He teaches at Brown University.

Writing to Save a Life explores the lesser-known side of the Till family legacy—the story of Louis Till, Emmett Till’s father. Emmett is brutally beaten in 1955 for allegedly whistling at and harassing a white woman working in a Chicago store. He is only fourteen years old at the time, and the girl’s brother dumps him in the river after beating him with his bare hands. Emmett’s story captured headlines across America for its brutality, but it didn’t stop the violence.

When Wideman is fourteen, he’s introduced to Emmett’s story. He’s disturbed by the injustice of it all, and he decides to research Emmett’s case in more detail. His research leads him to the story of Louis Till, Emmett’s father. Louis, who’s only a young man at the time, is killed by the US Army on charges of rape and murder. Wideman is determined to explore this dark family history to uncover the truth.



Wideman acknowledges that there’s little primary source material available to him. The notes from the proceedings are largely missing, and much of what happens behind the scenes is undocumented. Wideman examines what court transcripts he can find to piece the trial together and he uses his imagination to fill in the gaps. Writing to Save a Life, then, is a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

The book is as much a personal journey for Wideman as it is an effort to raise awareness of racial injustice. Wideman grows up with a father in the US Army, and his father served at the same time as Louis Till. As a fellow African-American, Wideman identifies with the Till family’s plight, and the story serves as a reminder of the conflicts inherent in the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a reminder that the conflict is not yet over.

Wideman explains that he originally planned on writing a novel about the Till father and son, but he couldn’t find the right story. He admits that he’s always been fascinated by their separation, and what it means to be a black father and son in America. Underlying the content is an attempt to reunite separated generations of African-Americans.



Wideman acknowledges that it’s impossible to know the full truth of the story, but that it’s important we never forget what happened, because it should never be allowed to happen again. He accepts that we’ll never know if Louis Till was innocent or not. All he can do is look at the evidence we do have and make a judgment.

The available evidence suggests that Louis was an abusive husband whose marriage was short-lived. His wife got a restraining order against him, but it was ineffective. The judge made him choose between military service or jail. Louis chooses service, although he was aware that African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens even by the military.

Wideman sources the government file on Louis through a Freedom of Information request. The file has gaps throughout and numerous discrepancies. All Wideman can state with confidence is that Louis was sentenced to death because of his skin color. He was not entitled to a proper investigation, or adequate legal representation. He’s guilty in the eyes of the law before the trial even begins.



It’s difficult for us to comprehend what it meant to be an African-American male at the time of Louis Till’s death, but Wideman uses creative license to bring us closer to the truth. He explains that, for most African-American daughters, mothers, and wives, they knew that each time a male relative stepped out the house that he might never come back. This is a timely reminder of the racial injustices faced by African-Americans now.

Wideman concludes by discussing his visit to an American military cemetery in France. He explains that, even in death, African-American soldiers suffered indignities and injustices, and their graves are nothing like those of their white counterparts. Wideman realizes that men like Louis feared the wrath of their own army, and their own comrades, more than they feared any foreign army. Writing to Save a Life doesn’t just follow Louis or Emmett—it’s the story of all black men at the time, and Wideman’s goal is to bring this story to life.